Do you remember CHRIS WEBBER and the rest of the talented players from the University of Michigan’s ‘Fab Five’ era? There was a time in America when universities like Michigan were segregated and the only place for Black athletes to play a sanctioned game of semi-professional basketbal would be through the athletic club circuit.
These athletic cubs were founded by progressive Blacks that had a desire for community building and upward mobility even though the country had strict Black Codes and Jim Crow laws that forbade Blacks and whites from sharing spaces. In those years a basketball team would be known as ‘Fives’ since that was the number of players that each team put on the court. Think of a Negro Leagues for basketball players. And just like the Negro leagues a ‘Black Fives’ game was an event unto itself. It was a social gathering and an affirmation of community. You may or may not be familiar with some of the great players that were once Black Fivers. PAUL ROBESON, CUMBERLAND POSEY, and JOHN ISAACS are just a few of the names of the great athletes that participated in this network.
NIKE stays on their Black History grind and similiar to what they did for the bringing Negro Leagues style back to the light they have created a line of apparel and footwear that salutes the spirit of the early Black basketball pioneers here in this country. The line is simply called ‘The Black Fives’. NIKE partnered with the Black Fives Foundation in order to create these items that honors the entrepreneurship and true talent that these teams displayed. Using logos and namesakes from the actual teams as well as the original colorways, NIKE pays homage to the great game and the truly great pioneers.
I had to cop the Harlem Renaissance Dunks. They are only $50 right now at V.I.M. stores in New York and New Jersey. Holler at me on the e-mail if you want a pair. There are a few other teams on sale as well like the Smart Set Athletic Club Dunks and another team from Brooklyn called the Alpha Physical Culture Club. To learn more about The Black Fives history and the teams that paved the way prior to the Association click the link here.
